Thursday, January 28, 2010

I met a fellow WTBN Christian radio listener a couple weeks ago. He’s dating an acquaintance. He’s a huge fan of Hank Lindstrom, who I also enjoy.

As we chatted I quickly realized he is a right winger. Among other indicators was his opposition to health care reform. I told him that I believe the only Christian who could possibly oppose health care reform is one who calls himself one with his lips but is not truly in his heart. I then suggested that perhaps he was able to maintain his views because he’s in a position of privilege.

He acknowledged: “That could be.”

Hmm.

He then went to explain his fear of communism, and that government takeover of health care brought us one step closer to the one world government prophesied in scripture.

He was referring in part to Revelation 13:16-17 regarding the communism: ‘And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads; and that no man might buy or sell, save that he had the mark, or the name of the beast or the number of his name.’

And in part referring to Revelation 17: 12-13 regarding the one world government: ‘And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.’

The interpretation being that the international government will be ruled by the devil.

There is another related and oft cited passage in Thessalonians, where is described the coming of a man of sin, the son of perdition. 'Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.' 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12.

That we live in a democracy is a strong delusion--and a lie. By definition, democracy is the majority rule of the people. Right now the majority of the Senate and the majority of the House of Representatives have voted for the health care reform legislation, and somehow it’s not enough to pass it into law. In the 2000 presidential election, Al Gore received 50,999,897 votes. George Bush received 50,456,002 votes. Howso is it that the will of the majority--that we take care of each other--is ignored? Howso was it that the will of the minority prevailed and George Bush became president? I have no doubt that Satan regards stealing the US presidency, with a little help from the Supreme Court, as one of his greatest hits. Those are just two examples of how the minority often holds sway over our government’s affairs; a little light research rapidly reveals many, many more.

The rah rah Republicans toe the party line in part from the fierceness of national pride. They view the democrats as weak, and the republicans as best able to fight terrorism and to safekeep the country from communist infiltration and takeover. Yet the REPUBLICANS are the very iron fist that just pounded open the door and invited communism in.

Last week the Supreme Court decided the Citizens United case, regarding presidential campaign contributions. In short, the result of the ruling is that there are no limits on how much money nor who can spend it on a campaign in a presidential election. It is a deplorable, and downright evil decision. The US presidency is now effectively for sale to the highest bidder. This means that Chinese, Russian, German and French banking concerns, and whoever else wants in on a piece of the US government, can form a conglomo-monster and try to pay a puppethead's way into the White House. Mitt Romney would be a good zombie candidate to have foreign hands up his wazoo—he loves his hundreds of millions and is already brainwashed by that false religion Mormonism.

Here is how the 5-4 Citizens United decision was rendered, with the president who appointed the justice in parenthesis. The five in favor were: Roberts (little Bush) Kennedy (Reagan) Scalia (Reagan) Thomas (Bush Sr.) Alito (little Bush). The four dissenting votes were: Ginsburg (Clinton) Breyer (Clinton) Sotomayor (Obama) Stevens (Ford).

So when the coming presidents strip the white and blue from our flag, leaving us all red, and history looks back, it will dandle our great great great grandchildren on its knee and tell them the tale of how Ronald Reagan helped transform America into an appendage of the one world communist nation.

O irony, how deep and bitter is thy sting! All hail the next president of the United States of America: Liu Chan Bykofsky Inc!

Friday, January 15, 2010

Biblical Evidence That Republicans Are Not The Party of Christ Part Three

Over and over throughout the Bible God makes one thing crystal clear above all else: He wants your heart. When a lawyer tempted Christ by asking how he might inherit eternal life, Jesus answered: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” Matthew 22:37.

God’s desire for man’s heart is everywhere in scripture.

“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9.

“But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29.

“Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD.” Psalm 24:3-5.

Consider the very first words of the New Testament. “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David.” Matthew 1:1. David is the greatest king in Jewish history, and Christ the king of mankind. Christ descended directly from the line of David, and when God chose David, it was on account of his heart: “And…he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will. Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Savior, Jesus.” Acts 13: 22-23.

The Republican philosophy at its core is heartless—despising health care reform, and spending on programs to educate, house and feed the needy—programs which they hard heartedly vilify as evil, socialist entitlements.

But in so doing they fulfill the wrong scriptures, such as:

“If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of the gates of thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother.” Deuteronomy 15:7.

“Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts?” 1 Samuel 6:6.

And by ignoring the poor at whose expense they further enrich the already wealthy, Republicans disregard scriptures they should cherish and take to heart, as it were, such as Christ’s teaching:

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6: 19-21.

So if your republican heart is a stone, or a block of ice, or a lump of coal, or a black hole that destroyed your soul, what can you possibly hope to find for treasure in the kingdom to come?

Thursday, January 14, 2010

The Rev. Pat Robertson has offered an overtly judgmental explanation for the earthquake in Haiti. He said that many years ago the island's people swore a pact with the the devil.

"Something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it," the controversial televangelist said Wednesday on the Christian Broadcasting Network.

"They were under the heel of the French ... and they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, 'We will serve you if you'll get us free from the French.' True story. And so the devil said, 'OK, it's a deal.' They kicked the French out. The Haitians revolted and got themselves free. Ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other."

Robertson went on to note that though Haiti shares the same island with the Dominican Republic, it remains desperately poor while its neighbor is "prosperous, healthy and full of resorts."

"[Haitians] need to have a great turning to God, and out of this tragedy, I'm optimistic something good may come," Robertson said.

Hey Pat, have you read the story of the tower at Siloam, that Christ speaks of in Luke? "Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay; but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Luke 13:4-5.

Here's another scripture for you to ponder the next time you're being powdered for the camera in your Armani suit and Gucci leather shoes. "Judge not, that ye be not judged, For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged." Matthew 7:1.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Fox News political analyst Brit Hume recently called on Tiger Woods to embrace Christianity as a way of obtaining forgiveness and ultimate redemption for his well known transgressions. Hmm, Brit, let's take a look at your Christian self and the Bible, shall we?

Let's start with 2 Corinthians 14-15. "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?"

Brit, you do consort with those devils and liars and hypocrites who nest at Fox News, and are one of the first officers of that ship of fools known as HMS Teabagger. You do oppress the poor--in direct contradiction to the Bible--with your rabid opposition to social programs and health care reform; you give voice to liars--in direct contradiction to the Bible--and broadcast their falsehoods worldwide; you enable those who make mischief and wage war--in direct contradiction to Christ, the Prince of Peace--by fomenting fury and rage with your broadcast of their bloody hatespeak.

This brings about occasion for me to address something I've been thinking about since John McCain appeared with Obama at Rick Warren's Saddleback forum during the election. Here's a transcript of the exchange that's been nagging in my thoughts.

Rick Warren: "You've made no doubt about the fact that you are a Christian. You publicly say you are a follower of Christ. What does that mean to you and how does faith work out in your life on a daily basis? What does it mean to you?"

John McCain: "It means I'm saved and forgiven. And we're talking about the world, our faith not just encompasses the United States of America but the world. Can I tell you another story real quick?"

Does Jesus save? Indeed. Does God forgive? Absolutely. But to distill the glory and wonder and majesty and mystery of Christ into two words, saved and forgiven, is a vast oversimplification. It's wrong to say, "I declare Jesus Christ to be my personal savior," while lying, stealing and committing all manner of wickedness and sin with impunity, and under the presumption that all is forgiven in the end. Faith is more profound than that.

So Brit, while you may consider yourself saved and forgiven, I don't think it's well that you profess to be in Christ while consorting with the disciples of Belial, namely, your colleagues at Fox News. Consider when the denizens of Jerusalem and Judaea came out to be baptized of John in the river Jordan. "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said to them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our father." Matthew 3:7-9.

Just as the Pharisees used their lineage from Abraham to justify their self-righteous and sinful ways, so do today's hypocrites profess Christ with their lips thinking it cloaks and protects them from their own evil deeds.

Here's a little more Bible for you, Brit. It's from chapter 59 of Isaiah, verses 2-8: "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity...their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood...the way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings."

Remarkable how precisely those words describe your cohorts in the Fox den. One or other of those nasty traits is attributable to just about every person I've ever seen or heard opine on Fox News. Since those are the foxes you run with, maybe you should check your own fur before concerning yourself with repainting the stripes of a tiger.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Drifting With Jesus is a novel about Jeremy, a disenchanted Catholic priest who pockets his collar and goes on a penniless faith journey across America. The novel explores two major themes. First, it is a survey of the various denominations of Christianity in America--Lutherans, Methodists, Baptists, Pentecostals et al; the offshoots--Quakers, Shakers and Christian Scientists; and cult based false religions such as Mormonism and Jehovah's Witness. Second, it is a detailed examination and exposé of the many Catholic doctrines that are contrary to the very Bible it claims to be inerrant. Along the way the novel also touches on the history of Christendom, Biblical prophecy and contemporary issues, along with the occasional spice of humor and a few of my own original parables. Scroll down to preview the first few chapters.

To read about some of the mystifying personal experiences that have shaped my faith, follow this link to chapter 9 of my semi autobiographical novel PEPPERCORN CAFE and read how it started raining five dollar bills in my life while I was writing New Clear Days, my first Jesus novel, which is about the Earth and the Second Coming of Christ.